tholas



y triest-ss.

'ciZZwio'nt t may Aconcern Be" it known the.t L

,flfetei-spof which the following is a` sp `lcation.`

V v pplic'ation CARL C. THOMAS, a

' r`r`citiZeii`-othe United States `of America, and rendent otMa-dison,

IState ,of Wisconsin, liave`invented certain 'county of Dane, and

yIieiv and useful Improvement/sin SteameciiivThe intention relates to'ineters.

i k 1t relates particularly to iiieters'for Ineasfiiiingthe flow oftlu'ids such as steam, gases,

that when dry vaporor gas e y definite anioiintoi' heat `operate abnormally, dueto `4abnormal super;v heating of the steam 1 i' viniparted to said vapor orgas 'i'loivyvill canse 1a. definite of the vapor or gas, depending upon the speeic heat of the subfv-apors andthe like.

" "The steam meter is based'upon the I rinci'- w A is owing through a conduit, a

during the rise of temperature i .stance Honing, its rate of iiow and the rate-v fat which' energy is imparte-d'. The rate of 'ow of 4 gas by Weight may. thus be deter- ,.mined by ascertaining rise ottemperathe to thei 'gasxiimlaporNv at a knowniate. Thus,

alor be {iowiinparted and Y'heat- N such gas or vapor, at a known rate, during of the' gas,

before and after of subjection to the'action the heat-ing means,

f i .will be maintained; and if the rate. of flowA vary, there. will be av corresponding variation V 'in the observed ditferencein temperature, in-

' l The presentap ments upon 'nieasuring the flow of steam and other gases I,

.versely proportional to the variation in rate lication embodies improvethemethod and apparatus for.

and vapors set forth in Letters y.Patent to Carl C.- Thomasl No. 946,886, dated June 18,

obtauieaffor In the embodiment illustrated, two oonofthe gas or 'duits are employed for the flow i and yapor, one being smaller than the other,

y `such smaller conduit being located,"prefer ably Within the ythe vapor or gas other. Heatr is'iinparted to flowing throu gli the smaller and the rfate'at which suclili'eat is l1 and:v the rise of te'iiiperfati'ire*y e observed. ,The.; ireadiiigs" nieuwe @emparer-1 'suites-gir "peratu're' observed. v The reasons,r

. quality -`tentures in claims.- ,diiference between the y u tudinal section of' 'tion' ofvFig: 1. Figs. 5

in construction y A `tails .of construction.

,Fifg." 9 is :temperature ditieren'ces and, "cui Specification of Letters Patent. l f Pat-ellltdAug. 1,1916. l inea April ifigieoe, serial No. 489,840. fiienevired May 2s, i313. serial "mossa i theA inner 'conduit are proportional toffthe readings Awhich would be lobtained if rthe en,- tire amount of vapor were heatedpcorrei spondingly and the resultingrise of.' teinfor heating a small proportional part of the gas or vapor, instead of heating the .entire amount, are,4 that a smaller and more yeasily controlled amount of heat is required, vand that the or degree ofsuperheat of thegasor vapor as a Whole, is notmaterially affected, so. that in the casev of steam -operatinga steamengine, y:for example, the" engine will .65 .'ot, during `tlietiine the 'meter' is iiiv use,

suoli .rise in temperature Yprove the construction` of steaincinetersantl ,70

,the like, and to adapt saine' for-inclusion yvention Will lhereinafter appear.

1 I will 4 novvfproceed to describe my' invention with reference tothe accompanying drawings, 'and Willy then point outtlie novel L,

f so Figure 1 shows a'longi` one form of my.l imprgyed steam meter, constructed so-.as to beiada'pted for useas'a part ofi'a main steafiiivlineoi-r4 other pipe line.y Fig. 2 shovvsa transverse/85 section .of the' device on kthe ,line man of Fig. Fig. 53 shows a transversegseetion of the device on the line" 'g/-y of' Fig. YAY1. Fig- 4 shows` a detail longitudinal section `of the discharge end of the inncrconduit on a. plane at right angles to'tlieplane of sec- 6 A and 7, 'are' views, and 3,,i'espectiv'ely, of meter, similar 'butembodying different de- 95 Fig. 8 shows a" de tail transverse section ofy ai, portiony of the steam meter illustrating alternativemeans for supporting'th'e'discharge nozvllelfthereof.'

diagram'uiatic illi'istrationjsliow- 100 ing' a"recordinginstrument *for ,measuring A p.. ntypqlt, crigneetioni,{yi/ith v` impip've 1 0 iis a. 'siiiilaiiidiair In saddraiyings:

similar to' Figs. 1, 2 an alternative form of steam i'ality of spiral coils view showing means for keepingr constant the temperature dillerence produced iii the `apparatus and for measuring the varying current-input required t do this; and Fig. ll is a similar view showing means for keeping the current-input constant and measuring the varying temperature dilfereiice pro-` duced, with varying rates of flowot' steam, when theenerg r input is thus kept constant.

In the drawings, numerals 1 and 2 des? ignate two conduits, preferably located one within the other as shown. The smaller .or

inner conduit ythe larger or able manner. and I have indicated' for the purpose a spider l supporting the front end of the inner conduit, and another support 5 of somewhat dili'erent construction support- '.Z, may lie supported within .ing the rear end of such inner conduit.

Within `the inner conduit Zaire-electrical resistance heating; coils (3, comprising a pluarraiiged in planes transverse to that oi the axis of the conduit, surrounding a central core of insulation material T, and connected `in series. 'lhrougli the centerof this insulation core 7 passes another conductor S, to which the end oi' the last resistance heatingr coil .l is

connected. The first of these lieatinfi,r coils, i

and the central coiidlictor 8. are connected to suitable external binding.; posts 9 and 10..

In practice the coils are formed of a singlo length of 'resistance wire, continuous from one end of the conduit to the other, the coils being' so supported that they are insulated liotli from the conduit Zand from their supports, both terminals of the resistanceconductoibeing at the saine end of the ap'paratus.

inner conduit 2, coin )rises a rinfr-ll ada ted to be secured between flanges of the outer adapted to receive the end of the teinperib4 conduit 1 and ii reducing by means of the arinsof the spider; This' ring 11 isprovided with a duct 14 through which may be passed a temperature measuring,r device 15, su'chfor example as a tliei'-,

finoineter, said ringlleiug provided diametrically opposite the duct 14, with a socket 16 l*ture measuring device Such tempera- ,55,1 directly in the path of the central portion of the 'current of stealn.

provided'at its Iower end with a veut 17,`

ture measuring! device therefore is lixzuted The socket 16 is so that water of condensation may not collect in suchsoeket. The support 5 which carries the other end o f the inner coudiiit 2,

comprises a 'ring 1B adapted to be secured between `flanges oftheconduil l and of a pipe section 19 adjacent thereto, and this ring 1,8 `is provided with a flattened nozzle outer conduit 1, ini any suit` vrsupport for` such "he spider 4 supporting one end of theV pipe section 12 (usually a` section) adjacent thereto and' from this ring another ring 13, within which Y the inner conduit 2 Yis received, is carried" 20 which at its smaller eiid is provided with a ringr 2l within which the end of the inner conduit :2 is received. vided with a duct 2:2 for the passage of ii temperature measuring device 23 similar to device 15 above mentioned,` and opposite this duct 22 there is va 'vented socket 2l adapt- Ved to receive `the end of this temperature measuring device '23. Said temperature Lnieasuring device 23 passes along the longer axis of tlietlattened` 'and elongated nozzle aperture (see Fig. 2) ;'the purpose of giving the said aperture such shape being to This ring 1S is pro? `cause all portions of` the steam current to i pass in close proximity to the temperature measuring device 15; it yis sullicientthat such `temperature measuring device is inthe path of such inllowing current of steam. rlhe central conductor 8 of the heating,r coils also forms a coils, since'A it passes through spiders 2li of the carryiiigrings 12iaiid 21': and such support is insulated tract with changes of temperature. l `The pipe sections' 12 and'1ll adjacent thel outer conduit 1. are coinn'ionly, though not necessarily, reducer`sectioiis,jconduit l heing' customarily, though', not necessarily, of greater diameter than the pipe line'iii which it' is located.

pipesectiou l2 immediately adjacent the from sind spiders, and is free to expandoricon l '105 In priicticetlie portion of conduit 1'is stra ie'ht fora siillcieut distance tofinsure steady Hoei.; s

' The 'inannerf of measuring quantities of` steam:llowiug*through this instrument is as follows: Stei'iinfllinv bein;r established through the.. instrument, the lirst sti-plis to determine whether such steam `is moist or,

whetlierit Vis superheatod. It moist, coiisd- `erable.current may be passed through the coils liefore'tlie two temperature measuring: devices 15 and 23 indicate dill'erenl temperatures. If, however, the steam is superlieated already, passage of current through" the coils u will immediately cause' the temperay ture nuaisuring device 23 to indicate a higher temperatuie than 'the iliwic`e.lii.` Home superheat of tlieisteaiu is necessar v.'l'or the operation ofV the meter, and ifthe steam is not already superheated, -such amount of `current is passed through `llieleoil 6 as will superlieat the steam passing through the inner conduit 2, and will cause temperature indicating device 23 to indicate a higher tciii- `represented the ordinate between the two curves multiplied Aby a constant taken` fromn the` proper calibration curve of the.

Ameter, gives quantitatively the rate of liow lated so as to maintain a substantially'uni-V form temperature dill'ereiice. In this figure 3S indicates a rotatabledruiu similar to the drinn 32 ot' I `1g..!l and likewise adapted-to carry a 'record sheet on which bears a recordpolarityiire coniiectedto the contact points ,4l andlzt'. and a coii'ductnr Jeti-leads troni ing needle coiitrolletl bythe wattnieter 38'.

3!! designates a temperati'irecontrolled de` vice having'a contact arm `t0 arranged to beJ `oscillateil between ci'intactv-points 41aiid 41%;` this temperature 4controlled device El!)V being controlled bytlie electrie resistance,

thermometers lf3-and 23 of the meter. Such temperature controlled devices adapted tor control by electrical resistance,thermometers, arev well known. i 43 represents a rheostat mntrjollingthe llow of'curent tli-rouglrthe heatingr coils ot'-the' ii'ieter and Jet-the arni of this rheosta't arranged to be moved by a niolor l5. `.Current lgein-rators of opposite rthe contact arm Vto the motor. It will be obvious that as this contact aiin is shitted owinglo` 'vaiving temperature dill'erence be`A isreversed by reversal of its current, By!

tween'tlie tlieifnioiiieters .l5 and :23, contact will be closed with the one coiitactpoint oi' the other, Vthus operating. the motor to ailjust the rheostat arin sons touwduce or increase, aspn'iay lic` reipliired, the llow of `e-ii'rreiit, tin-oughtlie heating coils of' the meter, to restore the temperature ilitferenee .to the intendedvalue. Itis understood, of

ciii'irse, that the motor employed is one which lthis means it is nu longer iiccessaryto read 'the tem|ieraturcsraiiil reading ol the watts,

:is indicated on the\\re coid sheet.` enables a true d'etermmation ol, the quantity of sleaiii p lloi'ving, `l'roni tlie-calibration curve.

, in the above description ,with reference to Ifigs. J and 1U,.- it is assumed that lhe steam supplied to the meter is dry or superheated steam: modern steaniplants almost invari.

ably supplying dry or superlieated steam.

lint these apparatus ot' Figs. Si and 10 may also be used .when the steam siip|ilied.-is moist, provided (lie proportion of. moisture be. practically constant1 'as it will be it the steam is passed tliroughian ellicieiit steam separator belforepa'ssiiig to the meter. ln such case. the apparatus of Figs. l) and 10 is used just as above described. but is used in connection with a special calibration .curve in which `allowanceisiniado for the heat absorbed in bringing` the steam to dry saturated condition; or, the calibration curve .the energ.r

'V depends 115 and :23 respectively.

dilleeences, as so indicated, when ready with.

` tion of moisture, a quantity of current Sailicient to dry and superheat the steam and a dill'erence 1n reading of the two produce thermometers. is passed through the coil and then an iulditiona'l quantity of current sulficient to raise the temperature of the Steam still higher is passed through the coil, thus giving a second temperature record and u second watt record. From these second records of energy aiid corresponding temperature rise. the quantity ot' steam flowing through the meter can be'deterniined by ret'- ercnce to a set `ot calibration curves detergniiueil experimentally.

In Figs. t) and 1U, JJ designates a steam separator such as above referred to.

instead of keeping,Ir the temperature constant and observing. or taking,lr a record of,

y input required to keep that teinperature constant. as is done in the appw ratus indicated diagiaininatically in Fig. 1U. .l may keep the energy input constant by automatic regulation ot' the voltage of the heating current. Since the energy input directly upon the voltage and the resistaucinif both ot' these are inade constant thc energy input is constant andthe necessity for reading" ot' electrical energy is eliminated. 'lliei'i-t'oie. in such case, steam lloiv will be inversely proportional to the -iiliservcd Aivnfording the dili'erence between the teinlwratiues measured by the thermometers the rate ofv The temperature dill'erenco of temperature respect to the suitable calibration curves,"`

siow directly. the quantity ol steam flowing tirough the apparatus. "zilhe methods involved iii the disclosures ol l"igs..9, 1l) nii-d ll are not claimed herein, and the apparatus is covered only in so tar as involved in the specilio disclosure of the *remaining ligures. said methods and the apparatns for carryingr them out in its broad aspect being covered in rial No. ($20.679, tiled May rial No. 106.107 filed June 2T, 1916.

lt is to be understoml that the structure shown is for the purposes of illustration only. and that other structures may be devised which come withinthe spirit and scope ot tl'ie appended claims.

What [claim iszn 1. Apparatus such as described, compris applications VSe- 12, 1911, and Seingf an outer main conduit and an inner conduit within such main conduit and spacedaway from the walls thereof, said conduits adapted for proportionalflow through them of steam or other gas or` vapor, heating meanswithin'the inner conduit andtemperature determining means upon opposite sides v 2'. Apparatus such as described, comprising two conduits located one within the votheigfand adapted for the How through them of steam or other gas or vapor, the

outer of such conduits comprising a plurality or' sections secured together, supporting means for the inner conduit comprising rings interposed between sections of, the outer conduit, and thereby supported, heating means within one such conduit, and temperature determining means upon opposite sides of suchheating means.

3. Apparatus such as described, comprising two conduits located. one within the y other, -and adapted forthe flow through 'them of steam or other gas or vapor, the

outer or' such conduits comprising a plurality of sections secured together, supporting means for the inner conduit comprising rings interposed between sections of the -outer conduit, and thereby supported, heating means within the inner conduit, and

temperature determining means upon oppoa5,`

site sides .of such heating means.

4. Apparatus such as described, compris- :Iing two conduits located one Within the other, the interior of ,the inner conduit and the annular space between such inner conduit and the walls of the outer conduit, Dfprming proportional flow-spaces,A heating means within one such flow space, space having a narrow dischargeeorifice, and

temperature-determining means upon opposite sides of such heating means, one such. v vtemperature-deterinining means the path of fluid passing through such discharge orifice.

such flow located in- 5. Apparatus such ling in combination two conduits,4one Within the other, said innerconduit provided vwith'heating means within it and also provided at'its-discliarge end with a discharge nozzle having a narrow orifice, andtempei'ature determining means upon opposite sides of such heating means, one such temperature as described, comprisl determining means in the path of fluid flowing through such discharge orifice.

6. Apparatus such as described, compris- V in within the other, theouter conduit formed in sectionssupporting means for the inner conduit comprising rings adapted to receivev 7. Apparatus such as described, comprising a plurality'o inclosures arranged for a division of flow of steam or` other gas or vapor therethrough in determinate proportions, and heating means for determiningr the iow through one ot'isaid inclosures, said in'closures being so arranged that the one containing the heating means is jacketed by the other.`

S, Apparatus such as described., comprising a plurality of inclosures arranged for a division of flow of steam 'or other gas or Vapor therethrough in determinate proportions, and heating means for determining the ,flow through one of said-inclosures.

9. Apparatus such as described comprising two conduits arranged for proportional flow through them at a fixed ratio of steam or other` gas or vapor, heating means within one such. conduit and temperature detering means.

In testimony whereof have' signed this speeilication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i Y CARL C.l THMAS'.-

- Witnesses:-

H. M. MARBLE, SYDNEY W. FRY.

g in combination two conduits, located one` 

